Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands, is kind of like its own little world boasting its history and culture for long. Once used to be a small fishing village Amsterdam has emerged to be a charismatic global village and it’s easy to see why.

Did you know that the Dutch capital is built on 11 million wooden poles and has more than 100 kilometres of canals? It’s time you check out these fun and interesting facts about lovely Amsterdam you probably didn’t know yet.

Let’s talk about the facts in numbers, shall we?

165

165 - Yes! It’s the number of canals Amsterdam deeply prides itself in. These waterways add up to 100 kilometres or about 60 miles. The 17th-century canal ring area of the city inside the Singelgracht was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 2010. Canals are really pretty, aren’t they?

3

3 - Don’t mistake XXX for pornography as it represents the number of Xs in the coat of arms. To some these Xs may stand for pornography so it’s time for them to get their minds out of the gutter. Most historians believe that these Xs represent crosses of St. Andrew, who was a fisherman martyred on an X-shaped cross in the 1st century.

Amsterdam used to be a fishing village, so there you go. Or it could stand for those three kisses which Dutch people give when greeting one another. I leave it up to you to decide.

11,000,000

11,000,000 - It’s the almost accurate number of wooden poles that have been a pillar to the buildings in the city. All these buildings are supported by 15 to 20 metre long wood poles sinking through the mud are settled in a sandy layer. A normal house has around 10 wooden poles, but Centraal Station is supported by approximately 9,000 houten palen.

25,000

25,000 - It’s the number of bicycles that end up in Amsterdam’s beautiful canals each year. They say only 8,000 bikes are pulled out of the canals every year strangely. It seems as if there are quite a number of bicycles that are still hidden under the waters.

1,281

1,281 - It’s the number of bridges in all of the Dutch capital. 80 bridges can be found within the city centre. Magere Brug, known as the Skinny Bridge, is the well-known bridge in Amsterdam. The crossing of Reguliersgracht and Herengracht is known as the “Bridge of 15 Bridges.”

Standing in the right spot, especially at night, you will admire a view of 15 arches into the distance. What a great sight!

1,515

1,515 - It’s the number of bars and cafés in the city. Don’t you think that it’s a huge number of Heineken? Why not enjoy at the bars in Amsterdam. You surely will enjoy the experience.

With its characteristic, flawlessly preserved architecture, stunning floral bridges crossing canals packed with houseboats and its interesting history, Amsterdam is one such mind-blowing city that we cannot seem to get enough of.

Every year more and more tourists flock to this striking Dutch capital ensuring that they book cheap flights to Amsterdam for moments filled with fun to the extreme.